God’s Hands and a Marble Heart
by MySoberThoughts
Summary: Magic AU: A modern retelling of Pygmalion and Galetea in wich Deidera uses his craft to make the most perfect thing to ever roam this earth. Or so he thinks. Supernatural/ Romance/ Drama
1. Miracle Maker

**A/N: I had the sudden urge to write some loosely Greek based material... very loosely based. So here we go! The tale of Pygmalion and Galatea told through witchcraft and Naruto.**

 **Only in fanfic am I right?**

 **I own nothing.**

 **xXx**

Deidara had a gift

Like most young wizards his age he had access to the celestial power that burned deep within him. A vastly superior force to chakra, it acted more as a tool to bend reality and miracle to his whim.

But, just a bend that is.

Where other wizards could harness the elements such as fire, gravity, and other such tangible things; Deidara had the ability to shape. His simplistic form of alchemy met enchantment and from it came his special brand of creation.

Sculpting.

Which is to say, he could summon earth, and mold almost anything out of it. Be it little trinkets or even the finest of statues, it was worked perfectly by his hands to mirror the likeness of anyone who was willing to pay the right price. For an added fee they could even move too an extent, a fine centerpiece wanted by many of his wealthy clients.

And for an even greater price he could _sweeten_ the deal, having the adding feature of being able to ignite these creations into a sizable explosion was an added bonus he didn't advertise too often. But often anyway was he approached by the shadier variety to perhaps make some "special" gifts for their friends. Friends they wanted to blow up...

But hey, a mans got to make a living right?

His work, of both natures, were known far and wide from Oto to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and that is where we first find him in our story.

Sparking up a sale.

 _iIiIiIi_

"Hokage-Sama... I don't think this is a very wise decision."

"Nonsense Shikamaru! Gaara had a full body statue of himself made and it'd be stupid of me not to follow suit. All the cool Kages are doing it!"

Naruto Uzumaki, 7thHokage of the Leaf village had made special summon of Deidara to fulfill a impulsively driven request. Erect a 20 foot statue in his likeness to place outside the academy grounds.

"Yes, but do you know how much money that thing is going to cost? Not to mention it'll be a complete eyesore-"

"I assure you. ***ahem*** Nara-San, was it? My creations are no eyesores. They are masterpieces. Masterpieces don't come cheap, but I'd be willing to perhaps make a Kage discount? 10k off?" A long haired Deidara said with a cheesy grin. "90,000 dollars is a steal if you ask me."

It was said that Deidara wasn't the most honorable of men, perhaps not the most respectable either and his attire was indicative of that. The man only bothered to put on a pair of grey jeans instead of shorts because the Konoha ambassador had insisted on it and his top was a long sleeve black Tee with the solo toon depiction of a multicolored tongue lashing through its middle. Fingerless black gloves that didn't even come off to greet the Hokage, and to top it off, the loose topknot of unforgiving blonde hair did little to keep the rogue mess out of his face.

At least he was comfy.

Shikamaru knew better though. "You'll forgive me if I don't think you have his best interest af-"

"Deal!" Naruto stuck his hand out before his shocked assistant could protest and Deidera shook it with vigor.

"Ahh, a wise choice indeed Hokage-sama! Meet me at the school tomorrow at about noon and we'll have it finished in an afternoon."

Naruto was already all smiles about the whole situation, but this was unexpected.

"Wow, it'll really be that fast huh? You really are worth every penny."

"Speaking of! Naruto this will cost a ton, you can't really expect the council to approve this amount for something as vain as a statue?"

"Calm down Shikamaru. This is coming out of my own wallet."

Naruto stood from his desk so that he could get a better view of his village. In the distance he could see the rising city like structure above the Hokage Cliff but below, not even a mile from his tower was the academy. Where the young and able of the village trained every day to become great warriors that may some day lead their country as he did.

"I looked up to those old farts every day with stars in my eyes and I can honestly say it's part of the reason I'm here. A statue of my father inspired me. I want the same for my boy, and every generation that follows."

He looked back at the cliff and studied the place where his own bust should appear, and thought about how he'd turned down the idea.

"My image is for the future, not my vanity."

 _'Man this guy is the real deal. Maybe I should actually give him that discount?... nah.'_

Deidara let out a weak yawn as he stood to take his leave.

"Until tomorrow gentlemen."

xXx

Deidara found a suitable plot of land, just nearing the center of the schools courtyard. He pulled his fingerless glove from his right hand and placed it to the ground. A blue shimmer erupted from his fingertips and a slow rumble bellowed from beneath him. In seconds he was propelled into the air as 20ft of unshapened clay erupted seemingly from the earths surface.

"Your magic is quite impressive." A distant voice shouted from beneath him.

"Hm?" Deidara had leapt gracefully from atop the mound and now had a hand under his chin as he contemplated his approach on Naruto's statue.

He didn't bother looking to his admirer.

Instead he began to sculpt. Naruto was running late but he'd already had his vision in mind. His hands raised to face the mound as if praising it and then they began to swick and flick like a conductor. Slow and methodical, as his hands moved, solid mounds of clay began to fall to the ground while others flattened and curved to persaude it into a human form.

"Deidara-San-"

"SHH!" Deidara's eyes where already closed to focus through the beaming mid day sunlight and the clamoring chatter of passing children as they 'ooed' and 'awed' at his work.

This additional distraction however was beginning to become a nuisance.

"But-"

" **What?!** " Deidara dropped his hands and with it the magic that held at least a hundred pounds of lose clay that had yet to find their place. Sending it crash unceremoniously in moist 'thuds' around the budding statue.

"I-I just wanted to introduced myself."

Deidara looked down in search of the voice and found a cropped head of pink hair, big green eyes, and a dainty little hand in his face.

"Sakura Haruno, the Hokage's magical studies consultant, it's nice to meet you."

Deidara studied the hand for a moment and decided, though bothersome, best not to make enemies. He took the hand in his after a brief contemplation and noted just how delicate she felt in his grip.

He raised an eyebrow at the girl.

"You seem a bit... small to be practicing magic, yeah?" It was true, magical ability was often measured off of stamina for the most part. Deidera was on the greater side of 6ft and had enough physical endurance to keep his magic up to par with any average wizard. But this girl had to be 5'3 at best, with no real distinguishing features beyond her bizarre hair color.

"You'd be wrong."

He regretted his words immediately when he felt his bones collapse in on each other from the ferocity of her grip with a sickening snap as three fingers broke almost simultaneously.

Her laughter was full hearted as he rolled around in anguish from the sudden attack. He raised his hand from the beneath her to stike but she caught his fist with ease.

" **Ah!** let go you-"

"Oh calm down blondie. You earned that one, but I can fix it."

Deidara looked in awe at his enclosed fist as broken hand began to shape back into it's wholesome form. All five fingers intact, the palm in the middle undisturbed. And the pain distant.

 _'Inhuman strength and the ability to heal? Clearly she has magic of the body covered.'_ Deidara thought to himself.

"May I ask wich art you command? Earth? Fire? Perhaps both?" Sakura had since released the man in favor of observing the incomplete statue. Her hands glided along the clay and it could have tricked her for marble.

"You bitch..." Deidara grabbed at his assaulted left hand and shook at the now phantom pain.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Sakura turned to face him. Face just as cheery as when she snapped his finger bones.

"I said, guess." He lied.

"Mhm, sure you did." But Sakura wasn't one to ignore a challenge. "I say earth!" She exclaimed.

Deidara made a noise like a buzzer.

"Ehh!" Pushing past her to continue his work. Raising his hand like a conductor once more and continuing his song.

"Then explain?" Sakura watched in curious awe as Deidara ignored her. The sudden experience had been a bit painful, and entirely too distracting. If he were to stop now he would lose grasp of his muse entirely.

He couldn't have that.

She was a bit peeved at the mans attitude, but that kind of laser like focus was truly something to admire. Watching him move so gracefully to ensue life into something that would inherently never even move. A fine creation she thought, more suitably, a masterpiece, that more perfected Naruto than it did resemble him.

"He's so..." Sakura's jaw was slack and she found herself observing the statue of her Hokage entirely too long.

"Perfect."

The pinkette jumped at the un-introduced the voice.

"Makes me look like a Greek god or somethin."

"Jesus. Don't scare me like that you idiot!" Sakura sent an aggressive right hook to the blondes right arm and he managed to only muster a single tear.

"Ouch!!" Naruto rubbed the offended arm but couldn't take his eyes off the statue. Where his hands bared scares from years of leading mean into battle, the statues were clean, yet distinguished. His unruly hair still looked wild but as if in a controlled chaos. The signature smile that always adorned his face seemed to show no limit to its shine even in its clay finish.

It truly was flawless.

"A god huh?" Deidara stepped back to join the two in admiring a job well done. "Well Pygmalion has nothing on me."

"I got to thank you Deidara. Shikamaru was a bit skeptical, but now I can rub this masterpiece in his face. So I appreciate-"

Naruto had turned to shake the mans hand only to see him walking away already, a peace sign behind his head.

"Your assistant has my account information, Hokage. Until next time!"

Naruto shrugged and turned back to admire his new image. The decision to permanently solidify himself into statue seemed a good one.

Deidara was almost around the corner before he felt a insistent tapping on his shoulder.

"Deidara-San! You never told me exactly what your affinity is."

Deidara looked back much to his distain to see Sakura. Eyes excited and curios after witnessing his powers first hand.

"My affinity is..." Deidara had often been asked this question by fellow magic users, but he'd never been a hundred percent sure on how to respond. A piece of him wanted to just say it was the ability to shape earth, not necessarily control it. But another part of him knew there was something more, an artificial charm that seemed to add itself to each of his creations like a signature. Which is to say, whoever it was made for seemed to be drawn to it beyond compare. As if there was something more at work than simple admiration.

People _loved_ his work more than what it was based off of and he thought it to be part of the magic.

"Creation. I can create things." His response was curt, and he was hoping it'd be enough to get her to go away. But of course it wasn't.

"Out of clay? Wood? Anything?" Her curiosity only seemed to double and Deidera suddenly remembered how uncomfortable he got talking to strangers.

"Usually clay." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little bird like trinket, as big as the palm of his hand, it was endowed with the basic movements of wing flapping and the ability to open and close its mouth as if chirping. "Here, hopefully this will answer any other questions you have." He plopped the bird into her open hands and made to leave but once again felt the tug on his hand.

 _'Man she has a grip like an ape!...'_

Deidara held in a girlish yelp as he looked to see her possibly triply excited.

 _'Well that took no time backfiring.'_ He thought, mentally cursing himself for giving the girl the time of day.

"Tell me Deidara, do you have time for another job before you leave the Leaf?"

He gulped down his rising anxiety and wiped himself down after she released him.

"Sure..."

"Then please. Whatever you can do with this."

Sakura pulled a small wallet from her skirt hem and from it a small photo of a blonde woman and Sakura both laughing together next to a park bench.

"She was my best friend." she held the picture at arms length and her grip on it only tightened when he went to reach for it.

"What's in it for me?" He asked, getting the hint as he retracted his hand.

Sakura took back the picture and placed it carefully in her pocket as he leaned in to get a better look.

"A chance to make the greatest _creation_ you've ever sculpted in your life."

Deidara scoffed at the idea. They both looked over at his recreation of the Hokage.

"I perform miracles daily, what makes you think your request is any different?"

"Well..." she snatched his hands in hers before he could get away.

"Oh no, not again-"

"Relax!! Relax..."Her hands hummed green and Deidara relaxed when he realized she wasn't going to pulverize his hands again. "You're an artist. You must want to discover things beyond your own ability... right?"

The humming continued and Deidara began to feel something strengthen in his palms. The magical pull that guided his sculpt seemed to fortify in her grip.

"I offer you the aid of my own magic, if you will do this for me."

She released her hands from his and immediately he missed the comfort of their power.

"I don't know..." Deidara looked down at his own glove covered hands in awe. He'd never even entertained the idea that there was something beyond his capabilities. What was possible? Independent creations? Unyielded charm?

Life?

"Scared?" Sakura's optimism faltered as she observed Deidara's distant astonishment. "I should've known you wouldn't be up to it... Good work on Naruto's ego project I suppose though. Good day Deidara-San."

She took her leave as she left to join the Hokage, but it was her turn to feel the tug on her shoulder.

"You think we can make something greater?"

Sakura beamed up at him, a toothy smile on her face.

"I know we can."

 **xXx**

"So you want her to move? I can already do that..."

"Well yeah, but more than that. I want her to-"

"And you want _"perfect"_? Every mound of clay I've ever shaped has been no less than devine!"

Deidara and Sakura sat adjacent to each other for coffee on Sakura's loft. The former becoming visibly irritated at what Sakura was asking him to do.

"Would you calm down already? Look. I just want you to come _close._ This won't be easy, even for you." Sakura pulled the picture from her wallet once more, this time handing it to him. Deidara took the time to truly study the woman. The man was an artist and he wouldn't hold his tongue to tell you so. So when presented with art of any form, he's a tad bit critical.

However, it took him longer than he'd like to admit to realize that the woman in picture was that of natural perfection and not one imagined.

Her eyes shined like the layered frost of a frozen lake, and he'd never felt warmth in light of so much cold but the blue did something to warm his heart. Already so soon in his observation and he found himself wondering if art like this spoke.

Not to say he thought she was mute. But he was curious what she spoke on, what her mind was hungry to discuss. But that smile looked so carefree and it had him wondering what does a girl like this worry about, strive for, reach for.

"Deidara?"

Or _did,_ he supposed.

That's when he saw her hands. One carefully interlocked with Sakura's and the other swatting away a stream of platinum hair from the frame of her face. He imagined they were as soft as the clay he molded.

"Deidara!"

How cold did they grow when she died?

And the smile. It was so genuine, he could almost hear her laughter. The smiles he carved into things always seemed to be somewhat fleeting. Like it was only for the camera, a quick disingenuous gesture that was still beautiful. But hers. All of her reminded him of-

"FUCK. **OW!** " Deidara cringed in pain at the sharp jab to his thigh under the table.

"What are you thinking about over there?... and close your mouth."

"That she reminds me of" Deidara was rarely stumped, he'd always been able to express himself, but something about this beautiful specimen tied his tongue and stilled his mind. "Unrehearsed laughter. Something about her is just so real... raw even." He decided. "This is just a picture, but I've met _people_ who are far less alive than this."

"At least pretend like you've seen a beautiful woman before... but that's very nice of you to say."

"How'd it happen?" Someone this beautiful, and so young. Curiosity gnawed at him as he thought of her untimely demise. She could've been no older than 24.

"The last great conflict was a strange time for us magic users as you must imagine." Sakura fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat, the topic always proved to be a bit much for her and Deidara could see it in her face.

But he wasn't about to halt her explanation.

"Many of us... many of us played a role in the battle field. The Inuzakas tearing apart the enemy with enhanced strength like wolves. Elementist like Gaara could sink whole army's benaeath their feet. The Uchiha, burning down entire villages with a simple blow of their breath. The alliance pulled no punches with their violence, but then there was us." Sakura blinked slowly as she looked at her pocket picture of the two of them. "The support. I ran a field clinic on the border of Oto for the length of the cities siege. Solider and mages alike came back with intense trauma. It was my job to fix that, and I was damn good at it."

Deidara thought _fondly_ of their first encounter as he squeezed his hand in its phantom pain.

"It was her job to take care of what I could not. Calm the panicked... soothe the screams. Her magic allowed her to transfer her being into that of another for shorts amount of time, and control them at will. She was amazing... diving into the minds of many without hesitation when their mental anguish was all but tearing them apart."

"Sounds like you two did some noble work out there." Deidara stirred his lukewarm cup of coffee in silence. He thought about how he'd been there too. But safely in a border town far away from the carnage, providing his special brand of explosive to whichever side of the battlefield paid best.

He almost allowed a small apology fueled by guilt to swell on the tip of his tongue, instead he washed it down with the rest of the coffee

It tasted just as bitter.

"Noble or not. When it was over, she didn't come back."

He now had a better understanding of _why_ but Deidara still struggled with the _what_ concerning what Sakura wanted him to do.

"Im not the most humble guy, but what I am is a realist. And honestly I don't think I can improve on someone like-"

"You're mistaken. I don't want you to improve, I just want you to replicate. I'll take care of the rest"

"How do you mean?"

Sakura fixed her mouth to speak but instead pulled the small clay bird Deidara had gifted her from her pocket. Her hands hummed green and the bird began to fly and chirp on its own. It floated away from the open balcony and went beyond their sight as they both watched in awe.

"My theory was correct. Our magic abilities seem to be a bit unique by any standards, but more importantly, they're compatible. I've done my research on you, and I really think you might be the one to do this."

The act was impressive, he'd admit, Deidara had only been able to get his creations to move small strides and repeat repetitive movements at best. But this was on a whole other level. This was independent action beyond what magic should be capable of.

 _'Should'_

"But that can't be more than a shell, right? It's not as if that's a real bird. We can't just craft _souls._ "

"I think I have the solution to that. It lies in her sudden death."

"What exactly went down anyway?" He asked before he could help himself.

There it was again, that burning curiosity.

"I-I... I can't remember honestly. I get flashes of it it sometimes. People screaming. **_I'm_** screaming. The only thing I know fore sure is that I lost something... someone. And then I can remember her face over mine telling me she was going to help me, that it was going to be ok. But it wasn't. Because when I woke up, Ino had that abandoned look on her face and I knew..." Sakura swatted angrily at the tears that began to fall freely now.

"Sakura you don't have to-"

" I knew! That selfish bitch made me her last patient. Whatever demos she tried to soothe in my mind was too much for her and she couldn't make it back to her own mind!! Do you know how that feels? Waking up and everything you live for is just...gone." Sakura's voice only got quieter as she spoke and Deidara found himself leaning in to hear. "It's like I can still feel her screaming from the inside, just trying to claw her way out. She's in here." Sakura tapped rather harshly at her chest. "So don't worry about the soul part Deidara-San. I'll take care of that. I'll get her out of there. I have too. She's my best friend."

He thought it over.

Firstly. He wasn't too sure this would even work. Which is to say he somewhat doubted his ability to make something that _breathtaking_ as well as Sakura's ability to bring it to life. And secondly. Could he really forsake his own mortality to delve into something so taboo? There was no witching law that restricted his ability to breed life with magic but was that more a fault of the law or because something like this had never been done before?

"You're staring of into space again."

"Hm?" Deidara shook his head and looked back to the girl, her look was hopeful and she awaited eagerly for his input.

"If we do this... Hell, why would I do this? Exceeding myself is one thing yeah, but this?" Deidera had his curiosity's but at the end of the day he still had to look out for himself.

"Fame."

"Pardon?" Deidara was already known far and wide for he signature sculptors, one more couldn't possibly change his public view.

"Fame and satisfaction on a level you can't even comprehend. Imagine." Sakura framed his face with the use of her hand formed camera lense. "The wizard that bred **life** no witch or wizard will _ever_ be able to boast that they did that, let alone top it."

Deidara admitted to himself that he may have lost this round. She played to his curiosity, his ego, and even his fleeting sympathy. He scrounged for a reason to say no, but ultimately the feeling deep in his gut said he had to do this.

He had to meet this girl.

"Where are we going to do this?"

 ** _ililili_**

Sakura settled on the Yamanaka home. Ino's mother had hesitated at first but being widowed and left without a daughter due to the extremes of the conflict, she felt that this perhaps wasn't the worst idea. It helped that Deidara's charm and professionalism held up and that Sakura seemed to truly trust in his ability.

"Sakura dear. My Ino is a beautiful memory. A amazing girl turned memory quite too soon. But if you think there's even a _chance_ you can bring my little girl back to me." She made to finish her words of approval but instead decided to hug the pinkette as a river of tears began to run over her words.

She left them to it in the family garden. Typically the garden was lush and vibrant filled with every color imaginable but fall was brewing. So where various shades of greens and blues once bloomed, there were yellow and red rusting colors covering the plants. Blanketing the garden in a cold, dry crimson.

"It's kinda peaceful in a way." Deidera remarked to himself more then anybody. The soft crunch of fallen leaves could be heard beneath them and the cool whistling of the winds picking up as they strolled towards the gardens center. A grand marble wishing well that had been drained for the coming cold months.

"I suppose this will do."

"You want me to use marble?"

"Is that a problem?"

Deidara thought about it and couldn't find a real issue with it. If it had some trace element of pliable earth then his magic could cut through it. Clay had just always been the most logical choice considering how visibly pleasing and available it was.

"As if something as small as that would be a problem... step back."

The pinkette obeyed and Deidara moved to place his hand on the edge of the well. His hand hummed and the marble mass began to morph into a vertical mass that could support itself.

"I'll need complete silence." Once again Sakura complied, this time with a nod.

Deidara couldn't help but notice how coincidentally the world around them complied as well. The winds hushed, birds fluttered away, and the little garden squirrels ceased their gathering as if to sit and watch the man.

He felt power surge through him as he concentrated. He'd performed "miracles" before yes, but this. This had to be something beyond. His hands sang like humming birds, they're palmed center emitting any eery green glow. Deidara looked once more at a photo Sakura had given him and thought about his typical artistic process. How his hands would talk to the earth. They'd communicate and flow with one another, as intimate as lovers but bearing the beauty of life being born.

But this time, he looked to the marble mass at eye level, lifted his arms, and relaxed his wrist as their sway prepared to speak once more. To tell a lie the size of God's hands.

 **xXx**

 **A/N: I wasn't satisfied with the length of the chapters. So I'm combining these, doing some light editing, and aiming to release chapters of similar length. New content soon! Tell me what you think guys. I love the reviews I've been given so far(:**


	2. Seasons

**A/N:** **Note much to say, just hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think!(: An oh!:**

"Hey there."- Normal dialogue.

Hey there.- Normal Narrative.

 _'Hey there'-_ Someone's thoughts.

 **xXx**

Time melted away with the sunset. Everything about this experience was calculated, and sought to with extreme care. He'd missed a challenge, and there was so much peace in this work.

His hands had moved the way the wind sang to the trees. Each sway serenaded away layers of marble as the winds persuaded leaves down from their branches. Her naked statue stood as true and as bare as the blanket of leaves beneath them, cold and unmoving. The embodiment of autumn. Sakura imagined roots of her platinum hair falling to the ground like leaves. This marbled, flawless, figure reminded her of just how dead Ino was and how that statue just wasn't quite her.

For now.

Once the base form of her was completed, Sakura's specific instructions guided his hands. She'd explained that Ino had been her best friend for what seemed like an an eternity and a patient of hers for at least the last decade. So every minute detail, every birthmark, the shape of her brow, the dimples on her back, that validity of her curves. It was all described to him in great detail and by the end of the eighth hour, everything was as it should be.

"I must admit, you're knowledge of your friend's physique is a bit much." Deidara rubbed his hands together generously and blew warm breath between them. The dropping temperature was beginning to become a problem for his cold-blooded nature as they'd worked well into the night.

Being the god that would grant her life, Deidara began to feel as if he knew her as well.

"Yeah well, I don't think that was 100% me." She tapped two fingers at her temple. "She's still in there ya know? I don't think she'd want me messing it up. Ino was always so worried about being pretty... Helps that I was her doctor for her professional career as well."

A good enough reason for the man, he stepped back to admire his work.

Deidara's was sure this was the figure woman envied and men gladly went to war for. Hell it was more than the ideal woman for himself, the rogue of a gentlemen left within him did well not to stare too hard at the stone curves that would soon be made flesh. He reached a hand out to her marble stream of hair, at least an hour alone had been spent shaping it into a flow Sakura was content with. His hands trembled as the typically did after a long job and he stuffed them into his jacket, just for Sakura to come and pull them back out.

"Woman it's freezing out here!"

"Shh! It's my turn."

Sakura's hands held his, but it didn't little to calm the shaking. In fact it was made worse. Sweat dripped down from his forehead and he swore he could feel the energy leave his body as Sakura swallowed the base of his powers through the tips of her fingers. Squeezing every spec of excess magic from the man before directing her attention to the statue.

"She's beautiful." She said.

"You expected less? And a little warning next time..." Deidara exhaled with a heavy breath as he sat down to recover. Crafting always took it out of him, but the combined factor of sculpting marble as well as lending his power to Sakura had him close to collapse.

"This is it Deidara-San." Sakura brought both hands to Ino's face with no small amount of caution. Framing her face, she began to expel her own magic, the one that focused on repairing what was broken. Deidara's that brought charm and creation into form, and finally that persistent other source of magic that had buried itself in the back of her mind.

She pushed every bit of Ino out through her palms.

"Is it working?" Deidara huffed out. At first nothing had happened beyond the strange tan colored aura that came of Deidara's green magic and Sakura's magenta.

Until the shell of shining marble began to melt. The marble exterior began to drip, exposing the pale like skin beneath, magic pushing away the cold mold like spring rays melting down snow. As white as milk. Ino's began to break from her shell, first a hand steadied herself onto Sakura's shoulder, followed by a step forward that shed the rest of the mold, dripping into a small puddle at their feet.

She blinked away blurry vision as she took her first trembling steps past Sakura. Only making it a couple of feet before falling before Deidara. Her chest heaved it's first breath, eyes greyed and lifeless until Deidara watched the first thump of her heart rush life into her. He expected to see the frost blue that he'd studied just earlier but instead he was face to face with:

 _'Green? That's odd.'_

Despite the flaw, It had worked. And that fact seemed a bit too sobering for him.

"I think I may have gone too far." He muttered to himself.

Deidara, a simple man, stared at his hands in wonder. Contemplating the truth behind the magic. Whatever otherworldly beings that blessed him with magic surely hadn't intended for this? For two wildly parallel beings to come together and forge life. Excitement swelled up inside of him, ready to burst.

 _'She's actually fucking alive!'_

Had his own mother and father even felt this? A _fraction_ of **_this_**?

No, they couldn't have. He hypothesized instead that this must really be how Pygmalion felt watching as Galetea stretched her arms for the first time. Deidara was aloof at the sight of his own creation, self doubt and awe inducing the shake in his hands as _his_ own work reached forward _her_ own palms to touch _his_ face. He shook as whole lifetimes flashed before his eyes. Jolts and pieces of lives spent in moments like this. With her.

She could read the brail atop his skin, the feeling in his shiver. Goosebumps told her that he was amazed, or maybe terrified.

Perhaps both.

"Who are you?" She asked quietly, breaking for her, their silent spell of intimacy. For him, the hundreds of experiences playing over and over.

The two were separated by an ocean of questions and curiosities. The answer was simple and complicated in of itself and that alone kept the silence afloat.

' _An artist... you're creator?... What was it "God" told Adam?'_

Deidara became entrapped in his thoughts. Sakura moved to answer, but couldn't hold back the river of tears that poured from her eyes. She found herself barring against a barren tree and watched in no small amount of relief as her best friend came back to life. Dead leaves floated around her friend and collided into her freshly bloomed skin. She'd began anew as fall, skipped past her winters death and now, her embodiment of spring looked so surreal. Sakura just couldn't find the words to express her happiness in the sudden change of season.

"I'm Deidara." He finally said.

"Hello, Deidara... Who am I?" Her hands found his hair. And Deidara was suddenly very aware that it was not him that she was interested in. Instead, her sight focused on her own hands as they twisted and pulled on a particularly out of place strand.

' _What a mystery it must be to not recognize your own body.'_

Then he realized just how close she was. Ino, a freshly minted woman, was bare as the day she was first born and very much in his space. A slight twinge of nervousness took over him before it was replaced by his special brand of curiosity. For a scent lingered around her. She'd only been created moments ago and yet he could already smell the soothing scent of lavender about her.

' _Odd, I'm not sure how that detail made it in there_.'

With no small amount of effort he removed his black bomber jacket and wrapped her in it before she could die once more, this time of exposure.

"You're-"

"Ino!" Sakura shouted, rushing to her friend with all the ferocity of a loved one not long seen and she took in the moment. Her arms scooped her up in the bear hug and she could feel just how flesh and bone Ino was again.

"Sakura? What's happening?"

"Shh, don't worry about that right now. We have to get you inside and warm! Deidara!" She looked down at her blonde acquaintance. "Deidara we've done it!!" Sakura lofted the petite girl with no seeable effort in both arms and took off towards the house.

"O-Oh ok. Goodbye Deidara-San. I guess I'm leaving now." Ino gave a small wave as Sakura hauled her away.

Deidara sat in the cold for some time. The winds had calmed and the silence was peaceful. He rested his head against the autumn leaves as he looked to the grey sky above and began to soak in what transpired. The sun was beginning to rise once more behind the gloomy scene and he felt how it mirrored him. Magic depleted, head astray, and it felt all too much that this was but a dream.

He'd done it.

Sakura had her best friend back, he'd contributed to history, Momma Yamanaka wouldn't be eating dinner alone tonight...

 _'This is a lot...'_

"Do we know each other Deidara?"

 _'Am I having second thoughts on something I already did? Typical me.'_

"It is, Deidara... right?"

 _'And what's with all those visions that flared when_ _she touched me? Side effect of magic depletion maybe?'_

"Excuse me-"

" **AHH!!"** Deidara leapt at the sudden contact, dropping a spoon he'd been using to stir and almost falling out of his chair in the process.

 _'I've GOT to stop doing that.'_

He looked down to see Ino's hand atop his, her sitting next to him at the dinner table. He could feel that surge of fuzzy memories jolt back into him once more and he decided to focus on them this time. He closed his eyes and and tried to figure out just where it came from but just in the next room over you could unclearly hear Miss Yamanaka and Sakura arguing.

Presumably about the marble zombie ghost hybrid in the other room.

"Yes, it's Deidara. And..."

The fact of the matter was that they didn't know each other. But Deidara couldn't escape that feeling tucked away deep down that they did. That part of the mind meant for the spirit, life shattering interactions, and ghost past.

"Maybe in a past life."

His response only resulted in the very confused look on her face. He confused himself too but he managed to let his thoughts flow.

Or rather, memories.

"Do. Do you feel like we know each other? Maybe even a little??" The curiosity, it was manic. He clasped her hand in both of his and pulled her closer. "When you came to life earlier, you touched my face and it felt as if... I don't know. Like we've done this before." Her head only tilted to the side in genuine ignorance.

"Who was I to you?"

Deidara didn't know. But his mouth did, and it spoke freely of what he saw.

"You were a spark, and I was a bang... we witnessed the birth of the universe and managed to spread apart from each other in all that infinite. We distanced from each other for what felt like forever." He gripped her hand in his in fear that she might recoil at such a crazy tale, but instead she sat silently.

So he continued.

"When I awoke I was a man. Primitive and focused only on survival, I discovered you, the fire, and when your embers cooled I froze to death. N-Next I was a jester, I tried so hard to make your king of a father laugh but in the end, it wasn't enough. I hanged for my craft when you were the only one to giggle in the great hall. When I found work again I was a hammer, you a chisel, we both belonged to a beloved artist in Greece who molded clay into lifetimes and we he died so did we... " Deidara stopped to wipe a sleeve at his eyes, he shuddered at the wave of emotions he was feeling, but he wasn't quite done yet. Or even sure why he felt this way.

"In my last life, I was drawn to you as a pest, the very instinct in me hungry for your flesh. You huffed at my buzz and with a swipe of your hand, your rejection left me grounded. Pitiful and wingless, I passed away into this life." Deidara wasn't quite sure where all of this came from, but he felt the passing of lives since the moment she touched his face.

"And here we are again. I can't seem to stay away-"

"Were your hands this soft in every life?" Ino had taken to melding his hands between hers when he began to shudder.

"An odd question for an odd story I suppose." Somewhat thankful for the interruption, Deidara gathered himself a bit and gave a gentle squeeze to hers in response. "But I guess hands that build always have some softness to them."

"And were you always this emotional around me?" Ino reached for his face again, but this time she plucked a trembling tear from the corner of his eye. He'd been caught in such a malestorm of complex visions and emotions but she could only observe. It really made a new woman wonder.

What could trouble a man who could create anything?

The tear tasted of salt. Unlike the overly sweetened tea her mother had brought them. Her mother's hands had trembled at the sight of her and just couldn't hold back all of that _sweet_. Untold "I love you"'s had flowed from her mouth like the heavy hand that poured the cream. But quick were they to be reeled back in when she got a closer look at her daughter. The unappreciative eyes that had looked back at her seemed to be missing something. Perhaps the acknowledgement of her mother, some kind of joy at reuniting? Or past that, deep into the gaze of this new Ino, She'd seen the lack of something vital.

Her soul.

"Should I cry too?"

Deidara instinctively made to say no, but watched with interest as Ino furrowed her own brow, intent on bringing about the foreign emotion.

"I can try if you'd like." And he could tell she meant it.

"Hah!-" Deidara quickly covered his mouth but it was too late.

He didn't mean to laugh, he really didn't. But this was just too cute. Forced sadness turned into genuine frustration when she looked back to see the man she attempted to comfort, laughing at her expense.

"I swear. Ahaha." He gave a comforting squeeze once more. "I'm laughing _with_ you, not _at_ you."

"I'm not sure I remember how to do that just yet either."

His smile loosened into a frown.

"What _do_ you remember?" He asked.

Her hands slipped from under his, this time finding her own hair to twirl.

"I remember all of this pretty hair." She said, what appeared to be a budding smile tugging at the edge of her lips. "And I remember her." She nodded in the direction of the feud in the next room.

"Well you're mother seemed liked she really cared about you, so I'm not surp-"

"No, not her." Ino shook her head. "Sakura. I remember feeling some really strong emotion about her."

 _'So she doesn't remember her own mother? Hm.'_

"Ok then..." Deidara thought carefully what to ask next. After all, he wasn't even sure the girl knew she'd been brought back.

"Do you remember what color your eyes are?"

"Green. Me and Sakura have always had green eyes." She answered mater of factly.

"Is that so? And what of your body? How would you uh. Describe yourself?"

"I'm gorgeous of course." Again, no hesitation. Her attention now fixated on her nails. Fairly lengthy and natural, She awed at the lack of imperfection in her delicate hands.

He'd spent hours on those hands.

"Gorgeous is a bit of a relative term, don't you think?"

"To put it simply Deidara-San-"

"Please." He interrupted. "Just, Deidara is fine."

"Well... Deidara. If it wasn't for your jacket covering me right now, I'm sure you couldn't keep your eyes off of my chest."

" **Oh.** " Deidara choked on a particularly large gulp of tea. "Is that so?" He did poorly to compose himself, clamoring about with his free hand to catch the run away dribbles of tea.

"I remember this scent as well." Ino pulled the large jacket in question up to her face, giving it a thoughtful sniff. Her face softened and Deidara was able to witness her first genuine smile.

"Earthly, yet soft and mellowed. It makes me happy, I think."


	3. Beneath

**A/N: I switch perspectives in this one a couple times. But for those who read my writing, you know this is a regular thing.**

 **I've been writing a lot more since I got some free time, so thank you all for your patience, and the comments(:**

 **xXx**

"Deidara, take her with you."

Sakura stomped into the room, all but fuming from the ears.

"Me? Why?"

"I have some things to figure out, and that sorry excuse for a _Mother_ is too selfish to accept her own daughter."

Deidra looked over into the innocent eyes of what can not be describe as a child, but the closest thing to the physical embodiment of ignorance. She didn't know who her own mother was and Deidara supposed that wasn't so strange for he never knew his either. Earliest memories found him floating from foster home to foster home before he eventually found permanent residence in a orphanage in his early teens.

The gravity of the situation was lost on him.

Ino seemed like a already prominent part of his life, so this was a task he could surely handle. Right?

"Sure... how long should I expect to be taking care of her?"

"At least until I get back." Sakura's readied herself in a hurry, grabbing her puffy jacket from the counter and slipping back on her shoes. She pecked Ino on the head before quickly retreating to the door.

"I have a partner in Oto who might be able to give me a little insight on how to get Ino back to her old self... when that's done then we'll really have done the impossible."

"What?" Deidara was rightfully confused as he looked first at the pinkette and then to the fairer blonde next to him. "Was this not the goal?"

"Goodbye, Sakura." Ino waved at the door and Deidara was made aware how long gone she'd been.

"You should go as well Deidara-San." Ino's mother said from her the dining room entrance. "And take that monstrosity with you. It's not welcome here."

xXx

 _'What does a grown woman my age even do?'_

Deidara was lost in thought as he and Ino strolled through the trailed woods of Konoha. It was well into the afternoon on a weekend so traversing through town was a big no, lest the public notice a not so dead Ino Yamanaka roaming around.

Deidara could hear the cries of "monster" and "necromamcer" being cried amongst the hypothetical citizens of the Leaf.

So instead the two traveled through the woods under the open sky.

"Deidara."

"Hm?" He shook himself from his thoughts to find Ino curiously rubbing the jacket Deidara lent her, against her skin.

"What is this feeling?" Ino asked, pointing at said jacket.

He'd noted she'd been speaking more as the day went on. At first he'd made it out to be that she was simply getting more comfortable with him but dismissed the idea when he realized the feeling of 'discomfort' might not even be something she was capable of. No this was different, he could see it in her eyes. She was observing. Learning.

 _'Remembering, hopefully?'_

"Cotton maybe? I mean I'm not sure what kind of material that's made of-"

"No I mean." Ino's frustration was evident on her face. She seemed to know enough words, and the intelligence was there. But expressing the bounds of her naiveté seemed difficult, especially when it came to the basics. "I mean do you not feel this?" Ino grabbed him by the arm, wrapping it in both of her own.

What he _felt_ was the unexpected comfort of his arm being swallowed up by her chest.

"I'm not sure what you mean-"

"Ugh!"

"Ahaha. Well _that_ " he pointed at her wrinkled brow. "Is frustration."

"Well I don't like that feeling... but what is this?" She frantically flapped her hands at the jacket. And generally all over.

"I don't know, maybe comfort? We really should get going Ino. It's getting kinda late." Deidara answered, but he may as well have been talking to himself.

"There." She pointed behind him, to the setting sun. The evening approached as the sun dipped low against the horizon as the chill he'd experience the night before replaced its glow. "The feeling is slipping away slowly with the sun."

Deidara turned to observe with her and he slowly began to understand.

"And there's so much of it on you as well." Ino latched onto his arm once more, pushing forward into a walk that Deidara matched along with.

"Oh...Warmth." He concluded. "It's warmth." And he decided under any other circumstance this would be funny, or maybe adorable. But he was smart enough to realize why a girl like her didn't recognize warmth. A basic feeling of comfort rooted in the moving motion of heat. Deprived to her after three long years of a stiff, cold death.

"Warmth?" She mulled it over a couple times, testing the ways it fell from the mouth. "Warmth. Hm. I think I like _warmth_ as well."

"I'm glad."

 _'And concerned.'_

"What else am I missing out on?"

"Pardon?"

"This warmth thing is great. So what else am I missing out on?"

"That's a good question..."

Warmth. Something as simple as the light that graced your face in the morning had been lost to her. Replaced with deaths cold embrace, it really made him think what _was_ she missing? Would he have to teach her happiness? Cold? Sympathy?

They'd reached their destination before he could sink any further into thought.

"Hey, we're here." He noted.

They'd made their way through Deidara's door. A simple temporary home, compliments of the Hokage for his services while in the Leaf.

"You live here?" She asked aloud.

"Kinda." Deidara unlocked the door and walked in, collapsing on the nearest couch. "I'm exhausted."

"Exhausted?" Ino asked allowed in a curious tone. "I don't think I've felt that yet."

 _'Can statues even grow tired?_ ' Deidara thought to himself.

Deidara lifted his drifting eyes. It was only six in the afternoon. The taxing endeavor of sculpting Ino through the entirety of the night had been tiring. But he supposed he owed it to her to stay awake just a few more hours. So he got up to start a bold brew of coffee.

"What is that you're making?"

The aroma of the coffee has began to waft about the home. It's earthy undertone was enough to put a smile on anyone's face.

"Nectar of the Gods." Deidara's face melted in pleasure as he took the first hot sip.

"Gods? So there's more than one?"

"Oh, no... I don't know? I just get a bit eccentric when I'm happy."

"Eccentric?"

 _'Oh yeah, limited vocab.'_

"Like, strange?" He elaborated.

"... Strange?" She asked again, this time with a much more innocent expression. Tilting her head to the side in question.

"Yeesh... Yeah I don't know how to explain-"

"Ahaha." I still remember jokes Deidara-San. It's a joke, I know what strange is. I'm just certain I used to leave the nerdy words to Sakura."

"I'm honestly wouldn't have been surprised." Deidara poured her a cup as well and passed it to her. " And it's Deidara, please."

"Warm. Thank you, _Deidara_ " She said while observing the warm brew in her hands.

"Not being able to remember essential things like warmth, but then somehow being capable of sarcasm? It'd seem we have a lot to talk about, yeah?"

"Well I have a feeling that some of its coming back to me. Only a few hours ago the very idea of laughing seemed alien. But now, it feels natural." Ino took her first sip and immediately determined that she wasn't a fan of coffee, or that maybe she'd never been. She placed it back on the kitchen counter. "We'll just have to talk about everything I guess."

xXx

And so we did. She picked my brain about everything that seemed still so shrouded in ignorance. More about warmth, likes and dislikes. She still somehow avoided the subject of death entirely. But I don't think I would've been able to( or if I should even) elaborate on that just yet.

At first it seemed like a feat in of itself to re-educate a fresh slate of mind. But with the warm smile she exudes, and the way she's looking at me. Equal parts curious and innocent. It's not _too_ serious. And that's something I can get behind.

"Where has Sakura gone?" She ask me.

"She's gone to seek help. For you that is."

"I need help? Is there something wrong with me?"

 _'Yes and no.'_

"Do you think there's something wrong with me?" She's taken to messing about with my hair again. Twirling her own in one hand and looking in envy as she noted the thick contrast of my much fuller locks.

I'd almost fallen asleep again.

I run a hand across the smooth skin I created and I can't help but feel like it's probably the greatest thing I've ever been a part of. To say I was the soul creator would be wrong. But more importantly to say that I knew what was behind that beautiful mind would be a lie because there's something greater at work here. I've played God and it wasn't enough to make all of... this. The soul and mind are truly a beautiful thing, beyond comprehension. And with it comes this feeling I can't comprehend either. Deep down there's the urge to court her, but somehow that feels wrong?

Both because she's so vulnerable right now, but more importantly because I feel like she's already mine.

xXx

They spoke until well past midnight.

"You know??" He'd finished explaining to her the 100th time that hour but it didn't seem like enough. She still couldn't understand the infatuation, the disbelief that glossed his eyes every time a new memory passed through him.

There was something beneath the skin. Their shared memories were trapped there, with each touch it brought him scraps of something new, yet old at the same time. She remained quiet as his hands explored hers.

He could feel it there.

Life after life. Some with tragic endings, others full of beauty. The common denominator in each being their separation.

In one life he quite literally lost her, his wife, at sea. The strongest acts of nature ripping through an old fashioned wooden ship like a hungry fate, keen on making sure they'd never see each other again. He'd survived the ocean but his heart soon sank without her, full of holes made of lonely and longing a shipwreck deep.

Another flash saw him as a writer. A young man living his dream as an author made famous by his unparalleled love of the craft. She, the ever burning muse that pushed him to stardom. When their fame finally came, she was nowhere to be seen.

How so quickly he was reacquainted with the average without her.

When needed most, she always seemed to vanish. He couldn't help but wonder how she would leave him this time.

 _'This is silly, I've only just met her...'_

"I feel like I've known you my whole life." Deidara states, puzzling even himself at the notion.

"Well I _have_ known you for all of mine." She smiled at him. She seemed to be doing that a lot more now.

"Cute, but a few hours doesn't really amount to much." His smile falters as he thinks about how skewed her perception of time must be.

What an entire lifetime lost must be.

"No, I mean. As I... remember? I remember you from the war. I'm almost certain of it." She said.


	4. Duly Noted

"You think you remember me, Hn? Now _that_ is interesting..."

"Yeah, I remember the blonde." She said as she continued to twirl his locks. "The excitement of seeing someone for the first time in months not enclosed in the war. The obvious civility amongst you compared to all those angry soldiers..."

"Well then, this is good, yeah?... Progress. Yeah..." Deidara abruptly stood up. His heart was racing and truth be told he could feel it trying to burst through his chest. "Excuse me for a second." He rushed out to the patio, dry heaving nothing in the autumn air.

 _'This isn't good. I knew she looked familiar...'_

The image of her was breathtaking even amongst the gloom of the foggy autumn evenings. The Leaf has made purchase of his works on multiple occasions, but the very last time he distinctly remembered their medics picking up the supplies. A fire tempered blonde leading the way and a timid pink haired girl behind her, dwarfed by the beautiful blondes confident shadow.

"How the hell do I forget pink hair?!" He mumbled aloud.

"Is pink hair that uncommon-"

" **AH!** " Deidara jumped at Ino's sudden intrusion. He caught his heart before it could surface and managed to stomach his epiphany for the time being. "N-no!... Well, yes it is actually-"

"I forgot what the stars looked like." Ino ignored his answer in favor of the light littered sky and Deidara never once felt so grateful to explain something.

"They're Ah, something." He managed to calm down and star up at the open sky with her.

"You know, they're kinda like me. In their own special way." She surmised.

"How do you mean?"

"Their image." She paused to figure out exactly what it was she was trying to convey, both of them seemingly comfortable amidst one another's silence in the meantime. "Their image still shines even though the light in them likely burned out _ages_ ago...Beautiful ghost..."

"Ino, I think you might be overthinking this." Was his concerned reply.

"I'm ignorant enough, but I know this isn't my first time living Deidara." Ino turned to him, managing a smile amidst her mounting confusion. "I'm not sure who I am really... or what caused you to bring me back. But I'm here, so I guess that's a start."

 _'Astonishing. Her psyche is rapidly recovering, I can't really but sure what she will or will not be able to comprehend at this point...'_

"It's true. You died." Deidara's voice was firm. But he couldn't shake the feeling that he was telling this to more than just a stranger. "We brought you back to life."

"When were you going to tell me?"

"Truthfully, I wasn't. I was going to let Sakura do that."

"Sakura... Why is it I remember so much about her, but I can't even much remember my own death? Try as I must I can't manage to remember how it happened." Ino rested her head on his shoulder as she continued to gaze up into the pines of the night's sky. "I can't remember what ended me, and made me like one of those stars up there."

Deidara didn't know why but he felt the need to close the distance. His hand grabbed around his own as her back pulled into him form the waist. She made no motion to move under his hold and continued to count the glowing stars above.

"You feel great." Deidara muttered into her shoulder and he could feel her first stiffen and then relax into his hold. "This feels right." He said.

"You told me all these amazing stories about our past selves... What's your favorite?" She inquired. She didn't take her eyes off the sky, but she did grab his hands in hers.

Deidara admitted to himself that even in a world full of magic and wonder. His favorite memory had been the one that most resembled this.

He'd been a sculptor of great renown. Known for his precision and grace with the likes of a mallet and a lowly hunk of marble. He'd seen nothing greater than what he could make with his own two hands. To include others work, others ideals, and others worth. The creations of all the worlds greatest could not compare. Not even the gods could make something more beautiful than him, at least in his eyes.

Even the ideal woman was impossible if he couldn't sculpt her into existence and the opinions of man were clearly lacking his vision. They needed to see what he saw when he looked at a mass of untouched marble.

He reached far and wide with the influence of his work but he hadn't quite reached everyone. Hadn't quite made his masterpiece. Finding himself in a lul of desperation. He turned his sights to the higher powers.

Praying for intervention to bring his creations to life but no one granted his wishes. He deemed woman and man alike beneath him, but he finally found himself at the feet of Aphrodite. The goddess of love, he prayed she'd give him the gift to do what was right. His will.

And She did. At a great price.

That day Pygmalion made Galetea out of clay. White as milk. Flawless as the sky, more beautiful than Aphrodite herself. And absolutely all his. The goddess answered his wishes and he was granted his greatest desire.

Perfection made by his own hands.

"My favorite story of us ends in tragedy." He finally spoke as he recalled how horribly that tale ended, the wires finally connecting as he realized his inspiration in his artistic life was that of legend as well as his past.

"Don't they all?"

Yes.

Death after death. Life after life. Reincarnation seemed inevitable to him at this point. But never in the same life. That was new at least.

"I hope not." He turned her to face him and her eyes finally left the sky's stars and met his.

"Green."

"...What?"

"Pretty... Pretty green eyes." She closed the distance between them with her lips and he could feel his breath fail him. He choked on her presence and feasted on her lips.

"Now where did that come from?" He whispered as they pulled away for air. His cheeks filled out with red and she could tell it's a reaction she enjoyed.

Something that she wanted.

"I think I wanted to see that again." She concluded.

Deidara couldn't bring himself to pull his hands away from her waist. Couldn't shake that feeling that this was right, he just couldn't relay it with his words.

Words have a terrible way of fucking up what you're trying to say anyway he noted.

His hands kept exploring. Trying to remember the feeling of her into existence.

The flash he got of her past selves always presented a smell of cherry blossoms. But that... isn't what he noted on her milk pale skin.

He noted the lavender and its allure. It breathed like sweet sweat and desire.

"This...This isn't right." He breathed.

"Of course it is." She urged as she pulled him in by the face. Two delicate hands held him close and she breathed in his nervous air. "Would you like me to stop?"

Delicate.

Delicate and considerate seemed off. Wrong even. This was his soulmate, but all at the same time it wasn't.

The beauty was.

The attitude was.

But the blonde, those larger than life... hungry hips. Those small delicate hands... it just. Wasn't.

"Who are you?" He asked?

"You made me, so I'm sure you know better than I?... I'm yours. Of course." She reassured.

But he could hear the inflection of her gentle voice. The tremble in her throat. It didn't fit the beautiful blonde before him but he couldn't bring himself to deny her eager advances.

Her desire scintillated her intentions. He could feel her coming into herself and who was he as an artist to deny perfection from taking form?

He took her hands back in his and pulled her close. He kissed that perfect stranger and very much felt at home. He very much felt sculptor building that piece. He very much felt again.

And that was enough when her hands explored her creator from head to chest and tried to remember her meaning for him.

"You made me with these hands didn't you?" She asked as her flawless digits massaged his own rough sculptors' palms. "I can't remember a thing but the feeling of your hands and yet."

She interlocked her own hands with his waiting touch.

"Yet, I'm not whole despite your best efforts. I'm not quite myself. Am I?"

A tear escaped his eyes before an answer could surface from his opening, gaping, mouth.

"Not yet." He breathed. "Theses eyes... their not yours."


End file.
